Montenegro has a new world champion after Mirjana Martinović won the gold medal at the World Veterans Judo Championships in Sarajevo.
Martinović dominated the women’s under-63-kilogram category, winning all three of her matches by ippon.
Her victory delivered another major international achievement for Montenegrin judo and the country’s second medal at the championship.
Mirjana Martinović World Champion After Dominant Performance
Martinović opened the competition with a victory over France’s Letitia Chartrand.
She continued her impressive run in the semifinal, defeating Belgian representative Silvana Pecchio to secure a place in the gold-medal match.
In the final, Martinović faced Sweden’s Emily Forsberg. The Montenegrin judoka produced another convincing performance, winning by ippon and completing a perfect tournament in Sarajevo.
The fact that she defeated each of her three opponents by ippon demonstrated her control throughout the competition.
Another Major Medal for Montenegro
The world title adds to Martinović’s growing collection of medals from major veterans’ championships.
Two years ago, she became European champion and also earned a bronze medal at the World Championships. Her latest success completes that collection with a world championship gold.
Martinović’s medal was Montenegro’s second at the tournament in Sarajevo.
Zoran Novaković had previously secured a bronze medal for the country, giving Montenegro two podium finishes at the World Veterans Judo Championships.
